Continuous file or index



no Modlz) A. J RUDOLPH.

CONTINUOUS FILE 0R INDEX.

Patented Sept. 27, 1892.

UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER J. RUDOLPH, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CONTINUOUS FILE OR INDEX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 483,312, dated September 27, 1892.

Application filed May 20, 1892. Serial No. 433.761. (ITo model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER J. RU- DOLPH, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in a Continuous File or Index; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to a device which I call a continuous file and index. It is an improvement on myformer patent, No. 473,348, granted to me April 19, 1892; and it consists of a series of cards the faces of which are adapted to receive the slips containing the subject-matter of the index, said cards being hinged or linked together at their edges to form a flexible belt, and in conjunction with these cards pins projecting from the ends of certain ones and a support upon which these pins are carried, so that the cards hang in folds of any desired length upon the support. With this device I employ a drum or other means for moving the index-sheets from one side to the other of the suspending-frame, so as to expose any one or more of the indexes for inspection.

Referring to the accompanying drawing for a more complete explanation of my invention, the figure is a perspective view illustrating a means by which my invention is carried out.

A A show a series of leaves or cards made of any suitable material sufficiently inflexible and of a size suitable for the purpose to which they are to be applied. Each of the cards has fastened upon its opposite edges small reinforce-strips extending from end to end, so as to form channels or grooves for the introduction of any cards, samples, or other device which are to be carried by these indexcards, the design being to so arrange these holders that the slips are easily inserted or removed,and an index can thus be constantly kept up, increased, and altered to suit varying conditions, while remaining alphabetically perfect. The edges of these cards are linked together, as shown at C, so that they have a free motion about these links, which may be of any suitable or desired construction and united to form an endless belt.

D is a drum of any suitable polygonal shape,

the drum is supported is fixed a curved sup porting-yoke H. These yokes are fastened to the framework and maybe made of any suitable or proper shape. In the present case I have shown them in the form of curved segments, and they are near enough to the ends of the cards so that the projecting rods G will drop upon these yokes and slide down to the lowest point, or until the suspended sheet comes in contact with those next. These pins maybe so situated as to contain any number of the folded sheets between them, as ten, fourteen, twenty, or any other number. The cards A have holes a made in them corresponding with pins I, projecting from the faces of the drum, and as each card passes over the drum these holes register upon their pins, thus keeping the line of cards in proper direction. As the cards pass over the drum they will drop down in folds until a card arrives which has the projecting pins G. These pins, falling into the supporting-yoke II, will then slide down toward the lower part anda double fold of cards will remain suspended between each set of pins. If there are ten cards between the pins, then the double sheet will contain five each. If there are fourteen between the pins, it will contain seven, and so on, the suspended sheets being as long as may be found convenient or suitable. The greater the distance between the suspending pins the greater number of the cards may be suspended from the support, it only being necessary to provide a sufficient space below for the length of the depending sheets. As they lie closely together,

it will be seen that they occupy but little space and are very easily handled. When the drum is rotated, it will immediately begin to draw the cards up from either side, according to the direction of its rotation, and

the surface of each card is presented upon the top for inspection and passed over to the other side, droping down and hanging, as previously described. If the drum is placed to one side, as shown in the present drawing, it will be preferable to form an inclined surface between the drum and the opposite edge of the supporting-yoke, over which surface the cards may pass freely and with little friction. If the drum be mounted centrally between the receiving edges of the supporting-yokes, the inclined surfaces may be placed on each side of the drum. Antifrictionrollers may be used or not, as found necessary or desirable.

The whole device may be inclosed either so as to be invisible or with glass sides, and a glass top is preferably provided, through which the cards may be inspected without opening the case or handling them. By this construction I greatly simplify the construction of an index with few working parts and an ability to increase it to any extent and still keep up the alphabetical order.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A file or index consisting of a series of cards or holders linked together at their edges to form a flexible endless belt, rods or hangers projecting from the ends of the cards at certain intervals, and yokes adapted to receive these rods andsuspend the cards in successive sheets, substantially as herein described.

2. A file or index consisting of a series of 3 5 cards or holders linked together at their edges to form a flexible endless belt, rods or hangers projecting from the ends of the cards at certain intervals, yokes adapted to receive these rods and suspend the cards in sheets, and a mechanism by which the cards are transferred singly and successively from one side to the other and exposed for inspection, substantially as herein described.

3. A file or index consisting of a series of 5 cards or holders having their edges flexibly connected together to form a series or endless belt, rods or hangers projecting from the ends of cards at certain intervals, and yokes so fixed as to receive the rods or hangers and suspend the cards therefrom in folded sheets, in combination with a polygonal drum, the faces of which correspond with the shapeof the cards, and guides with which the cards engage as they pass over the drum, and a means by which the drum is rotated, substantially as herein described.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ALEXANDER J. RUDOLPH.

WVitnesses:

S. H. Nounsn, J. A. BAYLEss. 

